Water cooler structure



Sept. 6, 1966 G. L. FUGERE 3,270,518

WATER COOLER STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 28, 1964 FIG-l.

United States Patent O 3,270,518 WATER COOLER STRUCTURE George L. Fugere, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 407,011 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-463) This invention relates generally to water cooler structures and more particularly to a refrigerated water cooler structure suitable for mounting on or in a structural wall.

In modern building structures, there is a need for providing adequate facilities for dispensing cool drinking water to the occupants. A problem often exists in the placement of water cooler structures in the building, in that the building designer is desirous of placing a minimum number of water cooler structures at locations where they will serve a maximum number of people. A typical situation occurs when a general office space and corridor are separated by a partition. Placement of the water cooler in the corridor, requires the occupants of the oflice to leave the general office area to obtain refreshment, while placement of the water cooler structure in the oflice area would hide it from the large number of people using the corridor. One solution to the problem is to provide separate water coolers for the corridor and the office area, which solution however would be costly to the builder.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide cool drinking water to :both sides of a building partition by the provision of novel water cooler structures.

Another object of the invention is to lessen the cost of providing cool drinking water to the occupants of a building, by providing a novel water cooler structure which serves to replace two such structures.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water cooler structure requiring a minimum of usable space and having the various components easily accessible for repair or removal.

The various objects of the invention are achieved by providing a refrigerated water cooler suitable for mounting on or in a wall where drinking service is desired on both sides of the wall. For example, the present invention may be installed in cafeteria and corridor partitions, cafeteria and dining room partitions, general office and corridor partitions, theater lobby and theater partitions, and many other locations where remote drinking fountains, or two drinking fountain units, have in the past provided this service. The present invention provides a water cooler structure having a very minimum overhang on either side of the partition, and lends itself to ease of installation and servicing by removal of either or both of two cabinet walls.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of water cooler apparatus, constructed and arranged according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through the water cooler shown in FIG. 1, showing a schematic arrangement of the refrigeration and water conducting system of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, there is shown a refrigerated water cooler mounted in an opening 11 in a partition structure or wall 12 located between floor areas of a building structure. Means for mounting the water cooler 10 in the opening 11 is provided in the form of a channel member 13 installed in the Wall opening, and to which the cooler is attached by a plurality of bolts 15 threadedly received in the member. In addition to providing means for mounting the water cooler 10 in the wall 12, the member 13 provides a frame for that portion of the wall opening above the water cooler.

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Referring to FIG. 2, the water cooler 10 comprises water containing means such as storage tank 14 and a refrigeration system of the compressoncondenser-evaporator type providing means for cooling the tank. The refrigeration system comprises a refrigerant compressor 16, a condensor 17, an evaporator v18 and an accumulator 19 in series refrigerant flow. The evaporator .18 is disposed in heat transfer relation with the tank 14 and is elfeotive to maintain water stored in the tank at a cool, above freezing temperature by controlled cycling of the compressor 16.

Both the refrigerating system and the tank 14 are enclosed by a cabinet having a plurality of upright walls 21, 22, 23 and 24. A bottom wall 26 is provided to close olf the lower cabinet structure and the upper cabinet is closed by a top wall 27 having a top surface defining a sink.

Adjacent an edge of the top wall 27, there is disposed a bubbler 28, readily accessible from one side of the partition 12, and at the opposite edge of the top wall 27, located diagonally from the bubbler 28, there is located a second bubbler 29 readily accessible from the opposite side of the partition 12. The surface of the top Wall 27 slopes downwardly to an outlet opening 31 provided for drainage of the sink surface. The top surface of the wall 27 also has a cold water glass filler 32 mounted thereon approximately midway between the two edges previously mentioned and accessible from both sides of the partition or Wall 12.

As is best shown in FIG. 2, a single conduit 33 is provided for supplying water from the tank 14 to the various dispensing means. The water flows from the conduit 33 through a valve 34 to the bubbler 29, through a second valve 35 to the glass filler 32, or through the valve 37 to the bubbler 28. Water is supplied to .the tank 14 through a water inlet pipe 38 having one end connected to the water tank and communicating therewith, and another end connecti-ble to an outside water supply pipe 39.

Waste water drain outlet 3-1 is connected to a waste water tube 41 which has its lower end disposed adjacent the bottom wall 26 of the cabinet and connectible to a sewer drain 42.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the side walls 22 and 24 each are provided with flanges 44 disposed at right angles thereto, having provisions for receiving sheet metal screws 46 therein. Access to the interior of the cabinet may be easily accomplished from either side of the Wall 12 by removal of the screws 46 and either, or both of the side walls 21 and 23.

From the foregoing description, it should be evident that the present invention provides a novel water cooler structure serving to achieve the various objects as previously set forth. In addition, the structure is both compact, and simple to manufacture by using present water cooler manufacturing techniques.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination:

a building structure partition wall separating opposite side spaces;

means defining an opening in said wall of a size adapted to accommodate a water cooler cabinet in its lower part with the upper part of said opening being generally unobstructed;

a water cooler including said cabinet mounted in generally centered relation in said lower part of said opening, said cabinet including a sink top provided with a drainage outlet;

said cooler including a first fbubbler disposed near an edge of said sink top in said one space;

a second bubbler disposed near an opposite edge of said sink top in said other space;

conduit means connecting each of said bubblers with a supply of cooled Water in said cabinet; and

a Waste Water tube having one end connected to said sink outlet and the other end connectible With a sewer drain.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

said cabinet includes opposite side .panels in said opposite side spaces, each said side panel being independently separable from said cabinet.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

said sink top is [generally rectangular in form and said first and second bubblers are located at generally diagonally-opposite corners of said top.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,102,171 12/1937 Vandoren 62-394 X 2,127,848 8/1938 Smith 62-399 X 2,579,379 12/1951 Fritsche 62--263 2,888,812 6/1959 Wood 62-263 3,035,418 5/1962 Wright 62-394 X 5 LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A BUILDING STRUCTURE PARTITION WALL SEPARATING OPPOSITE SIDE SPACES; MEANS DEFINING AN OPENING IN SAID WALL OF A SIZE ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A WATER COOLER CABINET IN ITS LOWER PART WITH THE UPPER PART OF SAID OPENING BEING GENERALLY UNOBSTRUCTED; A WATER COOLER INCLUDING SAID CABINET MOUNTED IN GENERALLY CENTERED RELATION IN SAID LOWER PART OF SAID OPENING, SAID CABINET INCLUDING A SINK TOP PROVIDED WITH A DRAINAGE OUTLET; SAID COOLER INCLUDING A FIRST BUBBLER DISPOSED NEAR AN EDGE OF SAID SINK TOP IN SAID ONE SPACE; A SECOND BUBBLER DISPOSED NEAR AN OPPOSITE EDGE OF SAID SINK TOP IN SAID OTHER SPACE; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING EACH OF SAID BUBBLERS WITH A SUPPLY OF COOLED WATER IN SAID CABINET; AND A WASTE WATER TUBE HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID SINK OUTLET AND THE OTHER END CONNECTIBLE WITH A SEWER DRAIN. 